About This Book

We all rejoice in the simple absurdities, funny habits, and crazy antics of our dogs. They make us smile every day, but sometimes they really outdo themselves. You will love reading all the heartwarming, inspirational, and hysterical stories in this book. We know after reading the stories you'll say, "I can't believe a dog did that!"

More from Chicken Soup for the Soul

Inspired by Chicken Soup for the Soul: I Can’t Believe My Dog Did That! by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Jennifer Quasha

The human connection to our dogs is deep. They love and protect us with undying loyalty, and their funny antics bring us joy. The 101 stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: I Can’t Believe My Dog Did That! celebrate the reasons why we love our dogs so much. Here are five reasons why dogs are our best friends.

1. They know when something is wrong long before we do. Dogs have an uncanny ability to detect a human in need. When Jan Nash’s dog, Angel, kept barking over and over again to go outside, she thought Angel wanted a bathroom break, but it turned out her dog knew there was a man outside in the parking lot suffering from a heart attack. Jan’s apartment was on the other side of the building from the parking lot, with no sight line to the man, so there was no way Angel could have seen him. It was her canine instincts that saved him. "She truly is an Angel," Nash writes.

2. They can make us smile in the most unusual ways. What’s the craziest thing your dog has ever done? Stephanie Winkelhake never thought she would come home to find her dog, Heidi, stuck in the washing machine. Heidi had somehow jumped into the top-loading washing machine and gotten her body wrapped around the agitator, with only her head sticking out! Stephanie says, "To this day, we’re not sure how Heidi managed to leap so high."

3. They give us great stories to tell. Gail MacMillan’s memories of her dog, Brandy, are filled with the trouble he got into. She says, "Although he astonished us, horrified us, humbled us, delighted us, inspired us, and at times downright exasperated us, he never once ceased to be a little devil-may-care rake." During one summer family vacation, Gail, her husband, two children, and Brandy took the boat out to an island to dig for clams. Because the small island was surrounded by water, they didn’t think to keep an eye on Brandy. But only moments later, the cries of angry birds filled their ears as Brandy came running towards them. The flock started to dive-bomb at Brandy and the family because Brandy had disturbed their nests. "Scenes from Alfred Hitchcock’s classic The Birds came to mind and I was suffused with an urge to throw myself bodily over my children in a heroic effort to save them," Gail says. Fortunately, the family was un-harmed, and to this day, Gail has a great story to tell.

4. They amaze us with their mischievous ways. Most people are used to their dogs stealing food from the trash or from a plate left unattended. Nell Musolf was already accustomed to this problem, but when a sandwich went missing from the fridge, she couldn’t believe that her dog, Toby, was the culprit. "Was it possible?" she writes. "Had Toby managed to get the refrigerator door open, find the roast beef sandwich, and devour it without our knowledge?" She later found a ball of foil, confirming her suspicions. Toby didn’t let a fridge door get in his way!

5. We can count on them to protect us. No matter their size, our loyal canine friends are ready to protect us. Sheryl Young’s tiny six-month-old Terrier puppy, Heidi, was as fierce as a full-grown Great Dane when she barked at a burglar. Although Sheryl called the police, they got the address wrong and never made it. But, the burglar left due to Heidi’s incessant barking. "I’m sure I owe my life and the safety of our home to Heidi, our very own canine cop," Sheryl says.